Unprecedented UK demand for high-density data centres driven by AI workloads is straining grid capacity and forcing operators to balance multi‑megawatt power feeds with strict net‑zero commitments. Developers are turning to on‑site generation such as gas reciprocating engines and fuel cells, advanced liquid cooling to handle rack densities above typical 10–15kW, and battery or flywheel systems to smooth grid interaction. For civil and M&E designers, this means planning for heavier plant loads, larger cable routes and switchgear rooms, and more complex resilience and waste‑heat integration strategies.

McLaren Property has secured Legal & General forward funding for a £160m, 737-bed purpose-built student accommodation scheme on Upper Brook Street, Manchester, delivering 272,854 sq ft across two towers of nine and 23 storeys for completion by summer 2028. The PBSA sits within the Upper Brook Street masterplan alongside Kadans Science Partner’s nine-storey, 216,000 sq ft technical real estate building now under construction. For engineers and contractors, the scheme signals substantial high-rise mixed-use workload in a dense urban setting, fully financed by institutional capital without public funds.

United Infrastructure has agreed to acquire John Wood Group’s UK transmission and distribution (T&D) engineering business, which delivers power network services to distribution network operators across multiple UK regions, with completion expected once regulatory approvals clear later this month. The deal follows United Infrastructure’s purchases of Jones Lighting in March and Glenelly Infrastructure Solutions in June, consolidating capabilities from street lighting and LV networks through to high-voltage T&D. For contractors and consultants, this signals a larger, vertically integrated player targeting critical national grid reinforcement and energy transition projects.